Means for locking automobiles



W. F. ZINK.

MEANS FOR LOCKING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 14, I917.

Patented J an. 6, 1920.

Ws Lu HM F ZINK inure WIL IA n z nx, or Graem rivprann.

MEANS' FOR meme Au'roMoB I LEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratnteaaame, 1520.-

Application filed November 14, 1917. Serial No. 201,978.

To all whom it ma concern: Y

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. JZIN'K, a--

citizen of the United States, residing" at Garrett, in the countyof'Dekalb andState" automobile.

The generalobject of the invention is to provide a construction of thisnature in which a plurality of valves are used, each valve having to beturned to a predetermined position in order to establish-communicationthrough the line pipe extending from the tank to the carbureter,therebeing a dialin connection with each'valve and a pointers are-usedin connection with each dial, each pointer on each dlal havlng disatinguishing marks to thereby add to the permutations and combinations ofwhich the locking device is capable.-

A further obgectv s to provlde a construc-* tion in which ordinary stockvalve bodies and valves rnay beused, thus minimizing the cost of thedevlce.

vA further object is toprovide'a'device of this character. mwhich agreater or less number'of units, each comprising a valve and valvecasing'may be used, depending upon the make of car and otherconsiderations.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description Myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,-wherein-:.

Figure l 's a side elevation of my improved locking device; V w

Fig. 2 is atop plan vlew thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a top lan view 'of one of the annuli, carrying t e pointers;

Fig. 5 Lisa top plan view of the valve. I Referring to these figures, itwill be seen that my device comprisesa plurality of valve'casings, eachdesignated 10. =These valve casingsare of an ordinary form andareiconnectedby unlons 11 or 1n any other sultable manner. Preferablythese valve" casings are detachably' engaged with each" other, thoughnot necessarily so, a's'the valve casings .might be made= integral.These valve"cas1ngsare dlsposed in-the' pipe line 12 which leads fromthe gasolenej'tank'to the' carblireter of the engine. Disposed in eachvalve casing is a valve 13,- which-is preferably a rotatable valvehaving a diametrically extending -pO1 t -'14:, WhiCh, when thefivalve'is turned in one direction, est'abq lishes communication throughthe'valve and when .turn'edjin the other direction cuts oficommunication through the valve.

Disposed at oneend of each valve casing is awdial 15. This dialisprovi'ded With radial graduations and certain of these graduations arelettered A,B, C, D, etc., there being minor graduations between eachlet-- teredigraduation- These dials are secured in any suitable mannerpreferably by-screws 15 to: apair of longitudinally extending" straps l6so that -the dials 'cannotr otate. Any-other supporting means for thedials maybe. use'd,i-however. I Attached to each valve stein 17 is anannu lus .118 havingl a plurality of radially pro== jectingipointe'rs:19, shown as three in num ber,-1'these pointers carrying difi'erent-indieating characters; as for instance, the numera'ls 1 12 and i3; ifthree pointers are used as Sl10W11"-111 Fig. 4:. Each annulus is-enga edWith a valve 13'=to rotate therewith and to this end I have illustratedeach" .1 engaging in 'a perforation made in the cor're sponding 1annulus 1 18; The nut 20- holds the t annulus in" engagement with thispin. Each annulus 1'8 is-also provided --with a plurality" pin-21 sothatthe" annulus can be rotated with relation toithe valve stem andengagzed at any 'desired point' by the'nut. The

' of perforationsfor engagement 'w-ith this valve bodies and braced byyokes 22 which extend beneath the valve bodies at opposite ends of thebraces 16 and preferably, though not necessarily, the assembled valvebodies will be braced from oscillation by means of an intermediate brace23. The brace 23 has a foot 23 which is designed to receive suitablefastening means (not shown), for securing the brace on the casing of theengine (not shown), at any suitable location, in order to support theseries of valves, in order to prevent displacement thereof, and toinsure rigidity.

The operation of this invention will be obvious from what has gonebefore. When it is desired to prevent the unauthorized use of the car,any one or a plurality of the valves 13 may be rotated to a position tocut ofi passage through the pipe line, the valve stem 17 being formedfor en agement with a wrench for this purpose. 6f course the valvestems. might be provided with handles whereby they could be actuated.Now. when it is again desired to use the car, reference is made to thegraduations on the dials and the valves are turned until a selectedpointer on each valve stem points to a selected graduation mark on thedial. When allof the valve stems are disposed so that the selectedpointer on each stem points to a selected graduation on each dial, thenthe pipe line is opened and fuel flows to the carbureter. It isnecessary, however, that every valve shall be turned to its properposition before this shall occur. Inasmuch as there are a plurality ofpointers coacting with each dial, it is obvious that one of thesepointers must be selected and that because of this fact, any oneignorant of the combination will not only have to consider the dialgraduation to which a pointer must be directed, but the proper pointerwhich must be used. Thus, for instance, assuming that there are only twovalves in the pipe line and that there are fifty graduations on thedials, it will be obvious that with three pointers there will be 150positions, which might be taken before a single valve would be openedand that with each additional valve, the number of combinations andpermutations which may be made is very greatly increased. At the sametime any one understanding the combination can very readily turn thevalves to their proper positions and, in fact, only one or two of thevalves need :be turned from their proper positions in order to preventunauthorized meddling with the car, as the person who is about to usethe car will not know whether valves are turned on or off. It will beseen that my device is formed, to a large extent, of stock materials,that these may be readily assembled so as to use two or more units asmay be desired and that the device may be .used on cars of any ordinarymotor.

Preferably the longitudinal bore of the valve bodies and the bore ofeach valve is larger in diameter than the pipe line, so that there willbe no restriction or impediment to'the free How of the fuel from thetank to the carbureter.

While I have illustrated a construction which I have found to bethoroughly effective and entirely practical, it will be understood thatmany-minor variations may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the claims. It is to be noted thatthe yokes 22 and the parallel bars or straps 16 act to preventaccidental turning of the valve bodies. This result is accomplished,since certain of the yokes straddle the connecting nuts between thevalve bodies, to prevent turning of the nuts, while the straps or barsengage the upper faces of the valve bodies adjacent their sides, therebypreventing turning of the bodies. The straps or bars not only hold thevalve bodies against turning, but also constitute supporting means forthe dial plates, there being securing means engaging through the, dialplates and into the straps or bars, to hold such parts securelyconnected. The provision of this means is very essential in a device ofthis kind not only to hold the valve bodies and the dial plates inposition to prevent their accidental turning, but also for holding themin aXial alinement, and in this way, it is easier and more convenient toascertain the reading of the dial plates. Since the upper faces of thevalve bodies are substantially flush and owing to the parallel strapsholding them in such positions, it is very easy for an operator toadjust the pointers, according to the positions that may be desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1'. In a device as set forth, the combination with a plurality ofconnected valve bodies having a passage therethrough, of a plurality ofvalves mounted in said bodies, each adapted to control said passage,each valve being movable independently of any other valve and includinga valve stem, a pair of elongated bars resting on the upper faces of thevalve bodies adjacent their side portions and being in parallelism,means straddling portions of the valve bodies and being secured to saidbars, a plurality of dial plates, each disposed concentrically with androtatably receiving a part of the valve, means for securing the dialplates to the bars, the dial plate being graduated, a pointer mounted oneach stem for rotation therewith and coacting with the graduation; ofthe respective dial plate, and means for detachably holding the pointerin engagement with the valve.

2. In a device as set forth, the combination with a plurality ofconnected valve bodies axially alined and having a passage, of a pair ofelongated bars arranged in parallelism and disposed on the upper facesof the valve bodies near their opposite sides, a plurality of valvesmounted in said bodies, each being movable independently and controllingsaid passage and having a valve stem, a plurality of dial plates, eachdisposed concentrically with and receiving a part of the valve, meansfor securing the dial plates to said parallel bars to hold the dialplates in position, a pointer mounted on each stem for rotationtherewith coacting with the dial plate, means interengaging between thepointer and the valve for holding the pointer against movement relativeto the valve, and means on the stem for clamping the pointer in fixedposition relative to axial movement of the stem.

3. In a device as set forth, the combina tion with a plurality ofconnected valve bodies axially alined and having a passage, elementsstraddling portions of certain of the valve bodies, means on the upperfaces of the valve bodies, adjacent the sides of the valve bodies andsecurely connected to said elements, thereby holding the valve bodiesuniformly alined and secure against accidental turning movement, aplurality of valves mounted in the bodies, each being movableindependently and controlling said passage and having a valve stem, aplurality of graduated dial plates, each disposed concentrically withand rotatably receiving a part of the valve, a pointer on each stem forrotation therewith and coacting with the graduations of the dial plate,means interongaging between the valve and the pointer to preventmovement of the pointer relatively to the valve, and means on the stemto clamp the pointer against the valve.

a. In a device as set forth, the combination with a plurality ofconnected valve bodies having a passage, of a plurality of U-shapedelements straddling certain of the valve bodies to prevent turningthereof and ally prevent turning movement of the bodies,

a plurality of valves mounted in the bodies, each being movableindependently and adapted to control said passage and having a stem, aplurality of dial plates, each concentrically disposed with androtatably receiving a part of the valve, means for securing the dialplates to the parallel bars, said dial plates being graduated, a pointeron each stem to rotate therewith and cooperable with the graduations ofthe dial plates, a pin interenga-ging between the pointer and the valveto prevent movement of the pointer relatively to the valve, and a memberthreaded on the stem to clamp the pointer against the valve.

5. In a device as set forth, the combination with a plurality ofconnected valve bodies having a passage, of means to hold the bodies inaxial alinement and against accidental turning movement of onerelatively to the other, a plurality of valves mounted in said bodies,each being independently movable and capable of controlling said passageand having a stem, a plurality of graduated dial plates, each disposedconcentrically with and rotatably receiving a portion of the valve,means for securing the dial plates to the holding means, a pointer oneach stem rotatable therewith and coacting with the graduations of thedial plate, and means for detachably holding the pointer in engagementwith the valve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WILLIAM F. ZINK.

Witnesses FREDERIo B. lVRIGH'r, M. R. VVILSON.

